And Again, Youth Care
And Again, Youth Care
We first ask: What is the scope of the youth whose care is required?
It is all youth: beginning with youth in secondary education, to the youth of Egyptian universities and all their colleges, higher institutes, and the youth of foreign universities: American, English, German, and French. And graduate youth, whether employed or unemployed.
And working-class youth in all labor organizations, rural youth, and the rest of the independent and affiliated youth. As well as those working within the youth environment, such as the Muslim Youth Association, the Christian Youth Association, and the Bishopric of Youth in the Coptic Orthodox Church.
Thus, we see the circle has widened before the National Council for Youth Care in Egypt.
The matter requires meeting with the youth on the widest scale:
Not that we speak while they listen, but that they also speak while we listen. And that we enter with them into a clear dialogue, a give and take, whose foundation is complete frankness, and whose means is conviction.
We want to know what is inside the youth in terms of feelings and ideas, discuss them with them, and come out with solutions that all accept…
And just as meeting with the youth is necessary, meeting with all youth leaders is also necessary, those who have influence over them, who plant certain ideas within them, motivate them to do something, and whom the youth trust and submit to their guidance.
Whether they are leaders in educational institutions such as teaching assistants, teachers, or university professors, or guides on the social level in associations or organizations… meeting with leaders is important.
Because it is not enough that we discuss the thought of the youth without discussing its sources, and these sources may be personalities, writings, or other auditory sources. What is important is knowing the atmosphere surrounding the youth and influencing them intellectually and volitionally, which must not be ignored. As the poet says:
“When will the building one day reach completion…
If you are building while others are demolishing?!”
Here, we ask frankly: What is the current position of youth in our concern?
What is the position of youth in the media? Do they have a special program in which they speak, converse, and discuss? What is the position of youth in journalism? Do they have a specific page? Or are they given room to express themselves? To what extent do adults care about them?
Also, what is the practical position of youth in political parties? Do they have committees and branches representing them in all governorates and cities?
Or do we say: “Youth have no relation to politics”?! Whether we want it or not, they do have a relation, whether we approve or not. If we do not guide them in this area, they will proceed without our guidance or under the guidance of others, and they will gather, demonstrate, and chant, and we will reap the result…
Do we leave the youth without guidance? Then entrust the security authorities with controlling matters, leading them to clash with the youth and the youth to clash with them?! And it seems there is no coordination among all the agencies, which are all supposed to move in one direction.
It is not only necessary to care about the youth, but more importantly to work on restoring youth leaders who have effectiveness…
For just as every profession has its unions, and every organization has its leaders, likewise there should be leaders for youth. And for this to exist, youth committees should first be established under the leadership of adults, and the members of these committees trained until leadership is assumed by those among their members who can lead them…
And all of these should have one thought and one direction, all striving to serve the youth, solve their problems, and serve the nation in general.
We now move gradually to the work of youth centers:
First: Are there enough centers to accommodate this large number of youth? And do they have sufficient capabilities to include all the energies and activities of youth?
And do they have financial support that contributes to solving at least some of the youth’s problems?
And do these centers have a specific practical plan for advancing the youth?
First of all, they should gather the youth, then educate and guide them, and if possible, employ their energies and engage them in useful work.
We want to hear about effective youth seminars:
General seminars in large halls attended by thousands of youth, participating in discussing selected topics that concern them and concern the whole nation, where they are not merely listeners, but also speak and discuss, and emerge with beneficial and implementable recommendations.
And lecturers who have appeal among the youth should participate in these seminars, having guidance and influence.
We also want educational curricula for youth:
These should have begun from the educational stage, with the Ministry of Education participating in a practical way, then completed by the Ministry of Youth. In these curricula, youth should learn their rights and duties, and principles and values should be instilled in them by which they conduct themselves within society. They should also study what their nation needs from them in a wise and balanced manner.
Youth also need fields of employment…
Among the successful and beneficial fields are Scout and Rover groups, with the noble qualities these groups possess and the many services they provide. There are those who participate in Red Cross and Red Crescent groups, and in other various rescue teams.
Some governors employed youth during the summer vacation in caring for city cleanliness and participating in maintaining traffic discipline, giving them symbolic wages in return. The important thing is that they occupied their energies. Others employed them in protecting certain facilities after training them for that. Youth can also be employed in social work… There are many methods that can be innovated to occupy youth, thus protecting them from the emptiness that destroys themselves and others through them.
What is more important is the thought of youth and their orientations…
And this is what youth centers and all organizations concerned with youth should care for, so that it may become sound and constructive thought, far from deviation and reckless impulsiveness, and not subject to any corrupt guidance.
And this is a long subject, which I do not think this article can contain.
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